Rotary type multiport valve



Aug. s, 1940. E. P. MCA'NNA' 2,209,989

ROTARY' TYPE MULTIPURT VALVE Filed SeptQ-ZS, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet `1,

8 I 12a' T' zos/ Aug. 6, 1940.

E. P. MCCANNA ROTARY TYPE MULTIPORT VALVE Filed Sept. 23, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l. Aug. .6, 1940. E. P. MccANNA ROTARY- TYPE MULTIPORT VALVE Filed Sept.. .23, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 6, 1940 ROTARY TYPE MULTIPORT VALVE Edward P. McCanna, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Elgin Softener Corporation, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application september 23,1938, serial 10.231.354 i 20 Claims.

This invention relates to rotary type multi'- port valves especially designed and adapted for use with base exchange water softenersfi1ters.

' etc.

Numerous 4designs of multiport valves have been made where the rotor is arranged to be lifted, turned, and re-seated on a rubber gasket or gaskets, but such valves have invariably been complicated and expensive to manufacture and were subject to certain serious objections. It is the principal object of myinvention to provide rotary type multiport valves of simpler and more economical construction, avoiding" so far u as possible the objections to the previous de- A salient feature of the valve of my yinvention is the provision of a ported intermediatesealing member between the ported valve members, shiftable with respect to said members from one position to another. In the present case; the intermediate member is rotatable with respectto the valve members and the valve members are arranged to be separated whenever the intermediate member is to be turned from one 'operative position to another, after which the -valve members reengage the intermediate member to seal the valve in its new position.

An important feature is the provision in connection with the rotary intermediate member of spring means normally tending to engage the ported valve members rmly against opposite sides of the intermediate member, and means for positively insuring separation of the intermediate member from both of the valve members Still another feature is the provision in a valve of the kind just mentioned of a' molded intermediate member having annular projecting beads around the ports on the opposed sealing faces of said member for goodsealing engagement with the ported valve members.

The invention will be betterfunderstood as reference is made in the following description to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Y prior to the turning of the-intermediate member Fig. 1 is a. central vertical section through a valve made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 1, but showing the ported valve members separated from the intermediate member preparatory to rotation of the latter from one position to another;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary details in vertical and horizontal section, respectively, illustrating a modified construction of the intermediate sealing member;

Figs. 5 and 6 are other fragmentary details in vertical section and plan, respectively, showing another modified form of intermediate sealing member:

Figs. '1 and 8 are horizontal sections on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 isa view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1, but showing only the intermediate sealing member in plan View;

Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating the operation of the valve during softening, and

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are similar views illustrating moved positions of the valve for backwash, salt wash and rinse, respectively. 25

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views. y

Referring to the drawings, 69 is the stator and it cooperates with the members 10, 1i and 12, 12 being a cover secured to the stator 69 by bolts 13, 30 compressing a' gasket 14 betweenthe cover and stator to prevent leakage of water. The upper member 10 is non-rotatable and is arranged to be raised against the action of the coiled compression spring 15 by means of the stem 16 and 35` hand lever 11 when the intermediate member 1i is to be turned from one position to another. The intermediate member has four different operating positions, as illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 10 to 13, `and after the intermediate-4o member has been turned from one' position to another, the upper member 1li is allowed to reseat thereonk and the spring 'I5 holds the three members 69, 10, and 1i in water-tight engage-- ment with one another, the spring acting be- 4,5-

tween the covei 12 and the upper member 10, as shown. lLugs 1B are provided on the member 10 in diametrically opposed relation, and these are slidable freely in vertical grooves 19 provided in diametrically opposed relation on the inside of 50 the cover '12. The rotatable intermediate member 1i is locked wlththe stem 16 against rotation until the h and lever 11 is raised out of whichever one of the four slots 80 it happens to be engaged in at the time. These slots are provided in an upwardly projecting rim 8| on an index plate 82 suitably secured on the upper end of projections 83 provided on top of the cover 12. The lever` 11 is bifurcated intermediate its ends to receive the upper end of the stem 16,

and a cross-pin 84 pivotally connects the lever- With the stem at that point. The end 85 of the lever 11 works in an annular guideway 86 provided between the index plate 82 and a ring 81 fastened with the index plate to the cover 12 by screws indicated at 88. When the lever 11 is raised, its end 85 exerts a downward thrust on the index plate 82 as the stem 16 is raised to lift the upper member 18 and shortly thereafter the intermediate member 1|, and when the lever 11 is clear of the slot 88, the lever may be moved side wise to turn the stem 16 and accordingly rotate the intermediate member 1|. When the lever 11 comes into register with another selected slot 80, according to the position desired for the valve, the lever 11 can be lowered into the slot to seat first the intermediate member 1| and thereafter the upper member 10 The seating ofthe members 18 and 1| will, of course. be aided by the spring 15, but the operator can bear down upon the lever 11, as will soon appear, to exert some additional pressure on the intermediate member 1| to insure better seating. The stem 16 is reciprocable and rotatable in the stuingbox 89 provided in the top wall of the cover 12. Two cross-pins 98 and 9| are provided in vertically spaced relation on the lower end of the stem 16, the pin 98 being arranged to bear against a washer 92 under the upper member 18 to lift the same against the pressure of the spring 15 when the stem is raised, and the pin 9| having its ends slidably received in forked portions 93 extending downwardly from a plate 94 through which the lower end of the stem 16 extends. The plate 94 is fastened to a hollow casting 95-form ing the frame work of the intermediate member 1|. The latter has the body 96 thereof -molded of rubber or any Aother suitable plastic material, the object being to provide non-metallic flat top and bottom surfaces 91 and 98 for good sealing engagement with the at bottom of the upper member 18 and the flat top of the stator 69. The frame member 95, aswill soon appear, is cored out to provide the ports and passage desired, and the plastic body material 96 is molded around this frame member so as to line the ports and passage. There are inner and outer concentric walls 99 and |80 on the frame member 95 joined by an integral transversev web |8| between the ports, so that the intermediate member 1| has the desired strength and rigidity even though this member is made up mainly of molded rubber for good sealing properties. The plate 94 is mounted within the inner circular wall 99, as clearly appears in Figs. 1 and 9, bosses |82 being provided on said wall to receive the fastening screws for said plate. A diametrically extending web |83 across the bottom of the frame member 95 at the center thereof has a stud |84 entered through a central opening therein and threaded in a diametrically extending web |85 provided in the central axial port |86 in the stator 69.l The head of the stud |84 limits upward movement of the intermediate member 1| by coming into contact with the web |83, as shown in Fig. 2. It is clear in Fig. 2 that when the stem 16 is raised as far as it will go, the intermediate member 1| and the top member 10 are not only raised off the stator 69, but are furthermore separated from one another, so that there is nothing to interfere with the turning of the intermediate member from one position to another by rotation of the stem 16. If the intermediate member 1| tends to adhere to either of the members 69 and 18, the parts are bound to be separated as soon as the stem 16 is raised far enough to permit its being turned by means of the hand lever 11, and, of course, when the hand lever 11 is turned, the intermediate member 1| turns with it by virtue of the driving connection aiorded by the crosspin 9| working in the forked portions 93 on the plate 94.

The stator 69 has a .central axial threaded hole |81 communicating with the central axial port |86, and there are four other radial threaded holes apart, as indicated at |88 to in Fig. 8, communicating withv equidistantly spaced ports |08' to respectively, opening to the nat top face of the stator, all at the same radial distance from the center port |86. An auxiliary port |88 communicates with the port |08', as shown. A threaded hole ||2 provided in the stator 69 parallel with the hole |89 has a passage extending from the inner end thereof in transverse relation to a nozzle ||3 that discharges water from a chamber H4 in the stator through a Venturi tube ||5 into the port |89'. There is a port ||2' opening from the ilat top face of the stator 69 associated with the hole ||2 and arranged to deliver water under pressure to the chamber ||4 for discharge from the nozzle ||3, whereby to Siphon brine from a brine tank B communicating with the hole ||2. Now, the top member 10 has three ports |I6, ||1 and I8, 90 apart, registering with the ports |88', |09' and respectively, and has in addition two other ports |9 and |20 registering with the ports A |88 and H2", respectively. Segmental shaped openings |2| are provided around the center of the top member 18 to communicate with the central pressure port |06 in the stator 69, so that When the valve is seated, as shown in Fig. l, water under pressure can be delivered from the port |06 through the central port |22 in the intermediate member 1| and through the openings l2| into the cover 12 to flow out of the valve according to the position of rotary adjustment of the intermediate member 1|.l The latter has in addition to the central port |22, two through ports |23 and |24 approximately 135 apart, and two other ports |25 and |26 90 and 180 removed from the port |23, respectively, the ports |25 and |26 being interconnected by a passage |21.

In describing the operation of this valve, reference will be made to Figs. 10 to 13 showing the valve diagrammatically as connected with a water softener S and a brine tank B. In the normal softening operation, the incoming raw water from the supply port |86 passes through the communicating port |22 and openings |2| into the cover 12 and leaves the valve through the port |1 and communicating ports |23 and |09' and enters the top of the softener S for passage downwardly through the bed of water softeningr material. The softened water leaving the bottom of the softener re-enters the valve and flows through communicating ports and |26 inthe stator 69 and intermediate member 1| and ows through the passage |21 in the intermediate member and out through communicating ports |25 and |88 to the service system. This flow continues until the water softener requires regeneration, whereupon the operator raises the hand lever 11 to unseat the top member 10 and intermediate memremoved from the position shown in Fig. 1 0. Dur-- ing backwash the incoming raw water from the supply port |00 ows through the port H8 in the top member and through communicating port |23 inthe intermediate member and port III' in the stator into Vthe bottom of the softener S for passage upwardly through the bed of` water softening material so as to break up the bed preparatory to the salt wash flow and also wash out from the top of the tank whatever sediment accumulated on top of the bed during the softening operation. The water leaving the top of the softener re-enters the valve through the port |09' in the stator and ows through communicating port |26 in the intermediate member and through passage |.21 out through the port |25 in the intermediate member and through communicating port H0 in thestator 'to the drain. 'I'his flow is continued for a predetermined time suii'icient to thoroughly cleanse the bed and prepare it for the 'salt wash. During this interval, raw water may be by-passed to the service system by virtue of the fact that the port |24 in the intermediate member registers with the port ||9 in the top member 10, and hence also with the auxiliary port |08 in the stator 69, the flow being, of course,

from the auxiliary port into the port |08' and thence to the service system. At the conclusion of the backwash flow, the operator again lifts the hand lever 11 to unseat the valve and then turns the lever in a clockwise direction through 90 to the salt wash position shown in Fig. 12,

whereupon the valve is again seated. During salt wash, the incoming raw water is delivered through the port |20 in the top member 10 and communieating port |24 in the intermediate member 1| into the port I|2 in the stator for discharge through the nozzle ||3 (Fig. 8) so as to draw brine from the brine tank B and discharge it with the water into the port |09 communicating with the top of the softener S. The mixture of brine and water flowing downwardly through the bed of water softening material regenerates the same and the spent brine and released calcium and magnesium is discharged from the bottom of the softener and re-enters the valve through port The flow is then through communicating port |25 in the intermediate member 1| through passage |21 to the port |26 in the intermediate member and thence through communicating port ||0' in the stator out to the drain. This backwash flow continues until the level in the brine tank B drops to a predetermined point, whereupon the valve V illustrated in Fig. 10 is closed so that no more brine will be used. During this salt wash flow, raw water may be bypassed to the service system by virtue of the fact that the port I I6 in the top member 10 registers with port |23 in the intermediate member in this particular position of the valve, the ow being through the port |08' in the stator to the service system communicating therewith. In mostivalves after the brine valve has been closed, the raw water is allowed to continue to flow at the same low rate of ow as during salt wash, even though a greatly increased rate of iiow is desirable. With the present valve, one may shift the intermediate member 1| in a counter-clockwise direction through approximately 15 to the rinse position shown in Fig. 13, in which a greatly increased rate of flow is permitted for more eflicient rinsing of the bed of water softening material. During rinse, the port |24 in the intermediate member 1| is 4placed into communication not only with the small. port |20 in the top member and the registering small port I|2' in the stator, but it also registers with the port |l1 in the top member 10 and port |09' in the stator. Hence, there is a greatly increased rate of flow over what small rate of ow would be possible through the nozzle ||3 alone, the greater portion of the present iiow being directly through the communicating ports ||1, |24 and |09', although there will, of course, be still approximately the same iiow as before through the nozzle |13 through ports |20, |24 and H2. The change in position of the intermediate member 1| does not materially affect the registration of port |25 in the intermediate memberwith the port I I I in the stator, and consequently there is no obstruction to the flow outv to the drain from port |25 through passage |21- and thence through registering ports |26 and IIO'. During the rinse fiow, water may be by-passed to the service system, as previously described, the change in position of the intermediate member having not ma terially altered the registration of the port |23 in the intermediate member with the ports H6 and |08'. The rinse flow is continued until the water discharged to the drain tests soft, whereupon the valve can be shifted back to the softening position.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I have illustrated a modification where an intermediate member 1I' has a body 9B made almost in its entirety of molded rubber, there being only a small center metallic insert 95' for the operating connection between the intermediate member and the valve stem 16. In this case, the insert 95' has an axial bearing |28 in which the lower end of the stem 16 is vslidable up and down. The/upper pin is intended to cooperate with a top member 10 similarly as the pin 90 previously mentioned but the lower pin 9| in this form has its projectingends slidable in diametrically opposed grooves `|29 provided in the insert on opposite sides of the bearing |28. In other words, with this construction the intermediate member 1I' is arranged merely to bel rotated by means of the ystem 16' and not lifted and rotated as in the case of the intermediate member 1| previously described. It is .believed that such a construction would be practical especially where the valve, is shifted from one position to another fairly frequently and the intermediate member would not become frozen onto either of its related metallic Valve members above and below the same.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown anotherfmodification Where the intermediate member 1Ia has the body 96a thereof made substantially entirely of molded rubber and provided on the top and bottom faces thereof with integral concentric projecting annular beads |30 around the ports there- I in, only one of the ports |23 being illustrated.. These annular beads concentric with the ports and projecting from the plane of the top` and bottom of the intermediate member it is believed will effect an extremely good seal between the intermediate member and the topvmember and between the intermediate member and the stator and permit reduction in the amount of spring pressure provided for holding the valve member in seated relationship.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advanu tages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported rotary intermediate sealingr member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof between the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, means for unseating and reseating the plate member on the intermediate member, and means operative while the plate member is unseated for turning the intermediate member relative toI the plate and body members from one operative position to another.

2. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported movable intermediate sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof between the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, means for unseating and reseatingthe plate member on the intermediate member, and means operative while the plate member is unseated for shifting the intermediate member relative to the plate and body members from one operative position to another.

3. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported rotary intermediate sealing member for establishing coinmunication between the ports in the body member and the ports in the plate member, means for unseating and reseating the intermediate member and plate member with respect to one another and with respect to the body member, and means operative while the plate member is unseated for turning the intermediate member relative to the plate and body members from one operative position to another.

4. The combination in a rotary plate type valve of a stator member carrying a housing and having a plurality of ports, a plate member in the housing having ports adapted to register with the first-mentioned ports, a rotaryintermediate sealing member in the housing between the plate and stator members having ports adapted to establish different communication between the ports in the plate and stator members indifferent positions of rotation of the sealing member, guide means comprising slidably inter-engaging portions on the plate member and the inside of the housing for holding the plate member against rotation while permitting axial movement thereof in seating and unseating, and a single manually operable stem -operatively connected with the plate member and I intermediate sealing member so as to unseat the plate member from the intermediate sealing member and turn the intermediate sealing member from one position to another.

5. A valve as set forth in claim 4,including spring means acting between the housing and the plate member tending normally to seat the plate member and intermediate sealing member in sealed relation on the stator member.

6. The combination in a rotary plate type valve of a stator member carrying a housing and having a plurality of ports, a plate member in the housing having ports adapted to register with the first-mentioned ports, a rotary intermediate sealing member in the housing between the plate and stator members having ports adapted to establish different communication between the ports in the plate and stator members in different positions of rotation of the sealing member, guide means comprising slidably inter-engaging portions on the plate member and the inside of the housing for holding the plate member against rotation while permitting axial movement thereof in seating and unseating, and a single manually operable stem operatively connected with the plate member and intermediate sealing member so as to unseat the plate member from the intermediate sealing member and unseat the intermediate sealing member from the stator member and turn the intermediate sealing member from one position to another.

'7. A valve as set forth in cleam 6, including spring means acting between the housing and the plate member tending normally to seat the plate member and intermediate sealing member in sealed relation on the stator member, and means for limiting the unseating movement of the intermediate sealing member with relation to the stator member.

8. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, one of said members being movable toward and away from the other member, a ported intermediate sealing member engaged between the plate and body members and adapted to establish different communication between the ports in said members in different positions of rotation of the sealing member, and means for separating the plate and body members and then turning the intermediate sealing member from one operative position to arnther.

9. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, one of said members being movable axially toward and away from the other member, an intermediate sealing member comprising a body of non-metallic material providing opposed sealing surfaces for engagement with surfaces on the plate and body members and having ports provided therein affording communication between the ports in the plate and body members, said intermediate sealing member also comprising an actuating frame member embedded in the non-metallic body thereof, and means for separating said plate and body members and rotating the intermediate sealing member. said means being operatively connected with the frame member of said intermediate sealing member.

10. A valve as set forth in claim 9, wherein the last-mentioned means is operatively connected with theframe member of the intermediate sealing member so as to separate said intermediate sealing member from the plate and body members, the valve including means for limiting the separation of said intermediate sealing member from one of said plate and :body members.

11. A valve as lset forth in claim 9, wherein the intermediate sealing member has the non-metallic body thereof formed to provide projecting annular beads on the opposed faces thereof for engagement with the plate and 'Jody members, said beads -being integral with the body and surrounding and being substantially concentricwith the ports of said intermediate sealing member.

l2. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported movable intermediate sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof between the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, means for unseating and reseating the intermediate member and plate member with respect to one another and with respect to the body member, and means operative While the members are in unseated relationship for shifting the intermediate member from one operative position t0 another.

'sealing member from one operative position to another.

14. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported rotary intermediate sea-ling member comprising a'body of molded rubber having a rigid actuating frame member embedded therein, said sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof between the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, means for unseating and reseating the plate member on the intermediate member,.and means connected with the actuating frame member of said intermediate sealingmember for turning the latter relative to the plate and body members from one operative position to another while the plate member is unseated. 1'

15. In al plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, ,and a ported rotary intermediate sealing member comprising abody of molded rubber having'a rigid actuating frame member embedded therein, said sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof between the ports of the :body member and the ports of the plate member, means for unseating and reseating the intermediate member and plate member with respect vto one another and with respect to the body member, and means connected with the actuating frame member of the intermediate sealing member for turning the latter relative to the plate and body members from one operative position to another while the members a-re in unseated relationship.

16. In a plate ytype valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported movable intermediate. sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof 1'1. In a plate type valve, a ported body memy ber, a ported plate.member, anda ported movl able intermediate sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof between .the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, said intermediate sealing member comprising a body of molded rubber and a rigid actuating frame member embedded therein, means for unseating and reseatl ing the plate member and intermediate sealing member with respect to one another and with respect to the body member, and means connected with the actuating frame member of the intermediate sealing member for'shifting the latter relative to the plate and bodyv members from one operative position to another while said members are in unseated relationship.

18. In a plate type valve, a ported :body member, a ported plate member, and a ported rotary intermediate sealing member adapted to estab-v lish communication Vthrough the -ports thereof between the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, said intermediate sealing member comprising a body of molded rubber and a rigid actuating frame member embedded therein, and means yconnected with said actuating frame member of the intermediate sealing member for unseating the same from the body member and turning the same from one operative position to another.

19. In aplate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported rotary intermediate sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof between the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, means connected with the intermediate member for unseating the same from the body Vmember and turningthe `same relative tothe plate and body. members, and means-operated by the last-mentioned means for unseating the plate member from the intermediate member.

20. In a plate type valve, a ported body member, a ported plate member, and a ported rotary intermediate sealing member adapted to establish communication through the ports thereof fbetween the ports of the body member and the ports of the plate member, a manually operable 'stem movable iirst endwise and then rotatively, means providing al lost motion operating connection between said stem and the intermediate sealing member whereby said stem is rst movable endwise relative to the intermediate member and then unseats said intermediatemember from the body member, whereupon said intermediate member is rotatable by rotation of said stem, means limiting the unseating movementof said intermediate sealing member relative to the'body member, and other means movable with the stem. for unseating and reseating the plate member on the intermediate member.

EDWARD P. MCCANNA.

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